San Jose Sharks: Analyzing Their Acquisitions of Raffi Torres and Scott Hannan

After dealing Ryane Clowe a day before the deadline most thought San Jose Sharks’ general manager, Doug Wilson, would probably start taking it easy. Well, we all thought wrong as Doug Wilson made it clear he thought the San Jose Sharks needed a bit more tweaking.  In fact, other than the Pittsburgh Penguins I would say the Sharks were the most active team during this deadline.  Time to break down his two last-minute trades right before the deadline yesterday afternoon.

Mar. 2, 2013; Glendale, AZ, USA; Phoenix Coyotes left wing Raffi Torres (37) handles the puck against the Anaheim Ducks in the second period at Jobing.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

3rd Round Pick For Raffi Torres

First is the bigger of the two trades which is also the most puzzling of them all, dealing for Raffi Torres.  At first glance it makes sense and I’m sure Wilson thought he would like to add back that grit that was lost when Clowe was traded the day before and Douglas Murray before that.

Yes, it was a good move as far as toughness is concerned because the Sharks do tend to play softer than most teams, but at what cost?  I do feel the 3rd round pick was too high a price to pay for such a rental and it is possible his arrival has a negative impact on the team.  Just trying to fit him into the lineup alone will be tough for McLellan who currently as San Jose on a six-game winning streak.

The other factor is his reputation as one of the dirtiest players in the league.  For those Sharks fans who may be a bit hazy when it comes to past playoff years (perhaps from a Raffi Torres headshot) he was the guy who aimed for Milan Michalek’s head in the 2006 playoffs and knocked him.  He was also the guy in 2011 that separated Captain Joe’s shoulder although that was a clean hit.

Most recently he is the guy who was suspended for 25 games last year for a hit on Chicago’s Marian Hossa which knocked him out for the rest of the playoffs. While 25 games was pretty harsh Torres no doubt left his skates to target Hossa’s head and I’m sure his reputation played a role as well.

I know Clowe was knocked a lot this season for taking selfish penalties that hurt the team, but Torres puts Clowe to shame in that category.  His addition could hurt one of San Jose’s strengths this year which is being one of the least penalized teams this season.

Torres will however get an opportunity to make an impact and he is very capable while playing very limited minutes.  He scored five goals and had seven assists for 12 total points while only play about 11 and a half minutes per game in 28 games with the Coyotes.

I for one was quite iffy about this decision and still am, although the more I think about it the more the decision somewhat grows on me.  There is still quite a level of dislike for Torres and they way he plays the game of hockey but at this point in the season his style of play works whether you or I like it or not.  And, as I’ve heard a couple of times, would you rather play with him or against him?  Door number one please.

Mar 12, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Nashville Predators defenseman Scott Hannan (22) shoots the puck in the Dallas Stars zone during the game at the American Airlines Center. The Predators shut out the Stars 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Conditional 7th Round Pick For Scott Hannan

His other move of the day, in which he acquired defenseman Scott Hannan from the Predators, was a subtle yet great move by Doug Wilson for a couple of reasons.  First, he adds veteran depth to a young blue-line that was one injury from becoming a disaster depth-wise.

For now Tennyson has filled in nicely for the injured Demers, but due to his youth and inexperience at the pro level adding someone who has playoff experience will only help the team.  Also at this point in his career he might be a great mentor type of player until the end of the year for all the young guys.

Also, as his second stint with the Sharks there will be plenty of familiarity with guys he played before such as Brad Stuart and Patrick Marleau so he should have no problems getting back into the thick of things with the team.

Lastly this was great because the cost was quite cheap although for an aging defenseman I’m sure the cost was not high to begin with.  The pick is a seventh for now but has the potential to become a sixth rounder if Hannan plays in the playoffs which he most likely will if the Sharks get in.